More than 800,000 jobs in Michigan might go unfilled between now and 2022 without an immediate influx of skilled trades workers. That’s according to the Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN). These are good-paying jobs in areas such as IT, medical assistance, software development, and robotics. According to WIN, these are jobs with a median salary of $65,000 a year.

The program will highlight efforts by the City of Detroit, the State of Michigan, and others who are looking to connect workers to industries who need skilled labor.

The roadshow is free and open to the public, but you must register here to attend.

Detroit Today host Stephen Henderson speaks with two people working in this area. Krista McKinney King is the principal of the Randolph Career Technical Center, which will host DPTV’s roadshow. And David McGhee is the Skillman Foundation’s program director leading the foundation’s Youth Development and Youth Employment.

“I can say, quite honestly…the interest (in skilled trades) is definitely increasing,” says McKinney King. “It’s not just about exposing our students to these opportunities. It’s making sure that they understand the vitality in skilled trades and why it’s so important to embrace the opportunities as well.”

“We’re working deliberately in identifying the gap that exists, leaning in and actually getting in the gap, and then…working hard to bridge that gap,” says McGhee.

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